Russia, France dislike latest U.S. draft on Iraq

Negotiations may be complicated

EDITH M. LEDERERAssociated Press Writer

Published Wednesday, October 23, 2002

UNITED NATIONS -- In a troubling sign for U.S. efforts to push a tough new Iraq resolution through the Security Council, Russia and France said Tuesday they weren't satisfied with a revised draft that warns Baghdad of "serious consequences" if it fails to cooperate with weapons inspections.

The five permanent council members -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China -- discussed the new U.S. text for the first time at a three-hour meeting on Tuesday, with Paris and Moscow concerned the draft could be used by Washington to launch an attack on Iraq. Another meeting was scheduled late Tuesday.

"The American draft resolution ... does not answer the criteria which the Russian side laid out earlier and which it confirms today," Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov was quoted as telling Russian journalists after meeting Hans Blix, the chief U.N. weapons inspector, in Moscow.

France also expressed disappointment with the latest U.S. offer.

"There is still a lot of work to do," French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said Tuesday in Luxembourg. "There are some points that need to be discussed among us before we have an accord."

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said negotiations were liable to be complicated and messy. But he dismissed Ivanov's statement, saying: "We think these discussions are moving forward."

Calling the talks between the five permanent members "professional (and) businesslike," U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said: "We're all meeting with the idea of trying to reach a consensus and a common view on how to go forward on this matter. I think you have to allow the negotiating process a little bit of time."

France, backed by Russia and China, wants to give Iraq another chance to meet its U.N. disarmament obligations. It favors a two-stage approach that would give Iraq a chance to comply and only authorize force in a second resolution if Baghdad obstructed inspections.

The new U.S. proposal, drafted with British support, is a single resolution that Washington says will allow the use of force if Saddam Hussein fails to cooperate.

It includes phrases that could be interpreted as triggering military action, wording that has raised disagreement from the French and Russians.

Last week, Washington backed down from its demand that the resolution authorize the use of "all necessary means" if Iraq failed to comply and agreed instead to let inspectors go to Iraq and report any violations or interference with inspections to the Security Council.

The new U.S. draft would then have the council convene immediately to discuss the situation -- but U.S. officials have said this doesn't commit the Bush administration to wait for council action before it acts.

As in the original U.S. draft resolution, the new one demands that Iraq accept the new resolution within seven days of its adoption and declare its programs to develop nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and related capabilities within 30 days.

Inspectors would then have up to 45 days to resume inspections.

In the new U.S. text, there are now two references -- not one -- to Iraq being in "material breach" for violating U.N. resolutions, a phrase that some legal experts say could open the door for military action.